Work can be quite overwhelming that you often times forget about taking care of your physical health—skipping the gym, ignoring your diet, and the works. It’s okay, life gets busy that you forget to eat clean and make use of your kitchen.
Do you even remember the last time you cooked your own healthy yet sumptuous meal at home? Those were certainly great times. Why not get into that habit now? We’ve got a solution for you: meal planning.
Meal planning can be a lot of work, but did you know that apart from helping you live a healthier lifestyle, it can also help save you money and feel your best? Yes, it’s a lot of work and takes discipline and commitment. However, it’s one of the easiest things that can help you on your journey to a better lifestyle. We’ve got a few tips here on how you can make meal planning happen for you:
Plan it on a calendar
Plan ahead and write down your calendar and hang a copy on your fridge. This way you and everyone in the room can see it and will stop asking “What’s for lunch/dinner?” This can also motivate you to steer clear of deliveries or eating out because you already have plans and possibly went to the grocery so there’s no necessity for outside food. Time to prep and cook your own.
Bring a list when shopping
To avoid going overboard on your groceries and forgetting anything, make a list of what you’ll need for your meal planning along with the quality of ingredients. Also, take a quick inventory first of what you already have. This should help you save time and money in the process.
Plan recipes that will work for you
Plan your meals around your schedule to make it really work. You wouldn’t want to spend an hour prepping your meal when you only have a couple minutes to spare before you head out the door, do you?
Choose recipes that take 30 minutes to make, or ones you can prepare on Sunday that makes several meals and can reheat on the following days—for instance, overnight oats, crock pot meals, the likes. Also, plan meals that share similar ingredients to cut help shorten your prep work time.
Always keep in mind why you’re doing this
When days hit you with questions “Why are you doing this?” remind yourself your personal reasons why. It may be for weight loss, saving money, a better lifestyle, or all of it. Whatever it may be, don’t lose sight of it for this motivates you to push thru and achieve your goal and the best version of yourself.
Go easy on yourself and your meal planning journey
Hey, you’re just starting out. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You don’t have to change every bad habit you have in one snap, doing so takes time and a lot of adjustments. Follow your own pace and take small steps. You don’t have to rush the process. This is your healthy journey and it’s yours to walk through only. Be gentle with yourself.
Have any pieces of advice and more tips to add? Share your thoughts down the comments below!
About the author: Chie is a daytime writer for Manettas, an online & interactive seafood market that allows customers to have access to a variety of fresh kinds of seafood without leaving home.